Tax holiday for efficient appliances ends today

Central Florida retailers say the break on taxes has helped boost sales at their stores.

October 11, 2006|By Sara K. Clarke, Sentinel Staff Writer

The tax breaks are almost over for shoppers who want to save on energy-efficient appliances.

Florida's sales-tax holiday ends today. Retailers said Tuesday that sales were up because of the tax breaks.

"It seems like more people are replacing appliances," said Andy Anderson, sales manager for Aggressive Appliances, where business at the Orlando store was up an estimated 20 percent. "It was a nice little bump for the week."

The tax break, which went into effect Thursday, applied to new refrigerators, dishwashers, clothes washers, air conditioners, ceiling fans, light bulbs, dehumidifiers and thermostats.

Items must sell for $1,500 or less, have the Energy Star label, and be for personal use to qualify for the sales-tax break.

Home Depot stores in Central Florida saw an uptick in traffic for energy-efficient appliances and products, spokesman Don Harrison said.

"I think that's a plus all the way around, not just for the retailers but for customers interested in becoming better consumers of energy," Harrison said.

Area Lowe's stores were matching the discount, which gives customers a reprieve on the state's 6 percent sales tax as well as local sales taxes.

Energy-efficient ceiling fans and certain light bulbs and laundry machines were popular sellers, said John McGoldrick, district manager for the Orlando market.

At Southeast Steel in Orlando, the $1,500 price limit and restrictions on which appliances were included caused a bit of confusion for shoppers. The store posted a sticker on appliances that qualified for tax-free savings.

"Some were disappointed by the fact that what they were hunting for was not a tax-free unit," salesman David Cole said.

Still, business was up about 20 percent to 30 percent on Monday and Tuesday, Cole said.

"Some of the people who had been on the fence deciding whether they needed to replace an appliance were able to take advantage," he said.